Finance minister T M Thomas Isaac envisions a hunger-free state

Thiruvananthapuram: The hunger-free village project started in Alappuzha district will be spread across the state to ensure that ‘none remains hungry'. There are people with nobody to help, not even getting one square meal and knowing how to pass each day, finance minister T.M. Thomas Isaac said in his budget speech. Though Hunger-Free Kerala figured in the budget 2010, it was successfully implemented only this year in Alappuzha.

Apart from giving free food twice in a day to 400 bedridden destitute at their doorsteps, food is also being supplied free through eateries here.  "For the past one year, a youth federation has continuously been providing free food packets to patients and bystanders in Medical College hospitals," he said, earmarking Rs 20 crore for it.

"This is an example of the mass support such an initiative may get... The ration rice and groceries will be made available at a subsidised rate." He said the parent stock of poultry in the state would be enhanced to 50,000 by next year to ensure the availability of chicks to farmers at a rate of Rs 30-35 from hatcheries. 

The chicken will be made available for Rs 87 at farm gates for KEPCO and Brahmagiri Meat Products.  He earmarked Rs 18 crore for Poultry Development Corporation for establishing parent stock farms and hatcheries and Rs 20 crore to provide a subsidy for chicks, if needed, to make the poultry feed factory at Mala functional and provide interest subsidy on loan availed by Brahmagiri society.  The government will give guarantee for the loan. It is also planning to intervene in fish market effectively through Matsyafed.